Photos by Ray Hamill/HumboldtSports.com – Vincent Agliolo in action at McKinleyville on Friday.

By Ray Hamill — Senior Vincent Agliolo was the difference in a tight game at McKinleyville High on Friday afternoon, as the Arcata Tigers won a pitchers’ duel 2-0.

Agliolo threw all seven innings for the shutout win, allowing just four hits and two walks and striking out 14.

According to head coach Troy Ghisetti, the senior standout “stepped up big time,” and got out off a couple of jams against their biggest rivals in what was a hard-fought game.

Riley Bates was equally impressive on the mound for the home team and held a dangerous and experienced Arcata lineup to just four hits and one walk, while striking out six.

“Bates threw one heck of a game,” Ghisetti said. “He kept our hitters off balance all day with his curve ball and his fast ball. Agliolo was just a tad bit better.”

The Panthers junior also led the way at the plate and was 2-for-3, with teammates Tenoch Tapia and Logan Maher each also getting a base hit.

Agliolo also had a hit, along with teammates Nick Parker, Will Mager and Finn McRae.

The Tigers took the lead in the top of the second inning and added an insurance run in the fourth and that was all Agliolo and the Tigers’ errorless defense would need.

With the win, the Tigers improved to 3-1 in the Big 5 and 14-2 overall, while a young Panthers team dropped to 2-5 and 9-10 overall.

Riley Bates

The win for the Tigers keeps the pressure on the Eureka Loggers, who won 13-6 at Del Norte on Friday to go to 4-0 in the Big 5.

Arcata and McKinleyville will close out a three-game league series with a doubleheader on Saturday at Mack High, with first pitch set for 11 a.m.

Also on Saturday, Eureka will host Del Norte in a doubleheader at the Redwood Fields in Cutten, which gets under way at 2:30 p.m.